Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Targu Frumos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Targu Frumos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,058 in Targu Frumos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,576 in Targu Frumos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,094 in Targu Frumos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Targu Frumos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Targu Frumos 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$8.61 RON 39.32

-47.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$39.60 RON 181

17.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$8.77 RON 40.05

-3.19%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$2.30 RON 10.50

33.91%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ฿22.26

$1.32 RON 6.03

-48.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$1.10 RON 5.04

-67.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$2.21 RON 10.12

9.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.79 RON 12.73

30.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.61 RON 7.37

36.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$1.22 RON 5.56

48.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.57 RON 7.16

42.04%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$2.93 RON 13.37

-23.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$8.87 RON 40.54

120.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$7.10 RON 32.43

-47.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$12.52 RON 57.2

7.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$1.01 RON 4.64

232.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.36 RON 6.19

19.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.52 RON 6.95

58.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.95 RON 8.90

2.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$0.90 RON 4.12

70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$0.93 RON 4.26

55.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.76 RON 3.46

32.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.73 RON 3.34

-34.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$6.06 RON 27.70

-29.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$7.68 RON 35.08

148.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.07 RON 4.90

71.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$1.63 RON 7.43

68.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.71 RON 3.26

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$19.54 RON 89.3

-40.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$0.89 RON 4.06

237.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.62 RON 2.82

69.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$7.16 RON 32.69

94.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.60 RON 7.30

-19.38%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$28.4K RON 129.7K

-1.25%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$27.9K RON 127.3K

20.27%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$122 ฿3,997

$172 RON 786

-29.12%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.93 ฿457

$8.98 RON 41.03

55.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$9.56 RON 43.66

97.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$40.82 RON 186

50.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$19.34 RON 88.4

-12.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$5.79 RON 26.46

53.54%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$691 ฿22.7K

$424 RON 1,935

63.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$6,795 RON 31.0K

137.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$73.3 RON 335

-21.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$32.63 RON 149

8.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$74.8 RON 342

51.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$81.0 RON 370

2.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$385 RON 1,760

57.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$285 RON 1,304

56.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$578 RON 2,642

250.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$444 RON 2,030

236.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$1,916 RON 8,753

87.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$1,373 RON 6,274

88.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.17

-34.76%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $385 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Targu Frumos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $215 per month, with Targu Frumos cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Targu Frumos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Frumos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,835 in Phuket and $1,587 in Targu Frumos to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $385 in Targu Frumos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $424 in Targu Frumos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,058 in Targu Frumos versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Targu Frumos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Frumos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Targu Frumos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Targu Frumos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Targu Frumos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.